Six million Jews were systematically killed from 1938-1945. Six million Jews; men, women, children and God know’s how many unborn children. They were killed for one reason and one reason alone; they were Jewish.

The Jewish people have historically been the minority of the world’s population yet somehow have had an enormous influence in each and every walk of life. Medicinally the Jewish people have been involved in almost all cures and treatments of illnesses. The arts, which include theater, music, movies and television (to name a few) have been propelled by the Jewish influence. Technology, finance, architecture, charitable institutions and museums around the world have a disproportionate percentage of Jewish involvement. Think about it – Jewish people make up one percent of the world’s population – yet somehow manage to shake up the world with world changing innovation.

As Jew’s born after 1945 we have been taught time and again to “Never forget” and to live our lives with the conviction that we would “Never Again” allow a genocide to take place.

The Germans destroyed infinite lives before they had the chance to live. Destroyed the medicinal or technological innovations, any symphonies which could have been performed, burned the masterpieces and the words that could have changed the world for the better; the children of the victims of the Nazi’s who never had the chance to be born and whose invisible existence will forever be consumed by the Holocaust of hatred.

In school our teachers taught us; they told us to “never forget” and we made our vows to always remember. That hatred turned to destruction – poison gas across the land, slavery and starvation – would never happen again.

We promised to “never forget” and we commemorate the Holocaust each year with moments of silence and burning candles.

yom hashoah, genocide
Candle Unlit

The world swore remembrance and swore against intolerance which can lead to genocide. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the United Nations initiated “The Genocide Convention,” defining genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.”

Somewhere along the line, the flame of vigilance against genocide was extinguished. The fire upon the “Yahrzeit Candle” which commemorates the memory of the dead, became unlit.
Somewhere the promises were broken and the voices were silenced.

Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Armenia, Africa – genocides are taken place with hardly an counteraction. The leaders of the world will all commemorate Yom Hashoah Hagevurah, which means the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust. Strong words will be spoken, Op-Ed’s across the world will be written, candles lit and moments of silence observed.
Yet, ISIS and Islamic extremists, the Nazi’s of the 21st Century will still be committing genocide. President Assad will still have the power to gas innocent civilians.

When will this all end?
When candles, vigils and hashtags are traded in for action by the world leaders who speak about freedom, justice and love.

I do not have any answers – I am not responsible to have them. I simply do the math. If someone commits an evil act they are considered evil and must be contained. It is the responsibility of the world’s leaders to protect the citizens of their own country. Collectively it is the good citizens of the world who must rise up against the evil citizens who can only understand martyrdom and destruction.

Christian, Muslim, Jew and all religions; believers and non-believers must stand together for the right of freedom and true peace for all; we must all unite and rise above the hatred and destruction and create a world of tolerance.

It must end, these senseless killings and attacks.
We must call upon the leaders of the world to take action against the flames that are surrounding us, lest we all end up in another Holocaust of destruction.